BIONOMIC NOTES ON THE SOCIAL HALICTINE BEE LASIOGLOSSUM AFFINE (HYMENOPTERA, HALICTIDAE)

Abstract

Bionomics of the halictine bee Lasioghsum (Evylaeus) afine (Smith) was traced based on nest data taken in Fukuoka, periodical adult collecting in Morioka and inferences from the bionomics of related species, especially, L. (E.) duplex (Dalla Torre) . L. afine is polytrophic and social, having two discrete brood rearing periods, P, (solitary or polygynous phase) and P, (eusocial phase). Both P, and P, appear about 1.5 months later in Morioka than in Fukuoka. Queens and workers considerably overlap in size, with the average difference 5.8 96 in Morioka. Brood cells form a horizontal and unilateral comb, which is surrounded with a cavity and communicates with the main burrow usually by means of lateroid as in L. duplex.